Exploring Mars with Curiosity subject of next Los Alamos National Laboratory Frontiers in science lectures

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Sponsored by the Fellows of Los Alamos National Laboratory, the Frontiers in Science lecture series is intended to increase local public awareness of the diversity of science and engineering research at the Laboratory.

LOS ALAMOS, New Mexico, May 1, 2013—Los Alamos National Laboratory scientist Roger Wiens talks about the NASA Mars Curiosity rover, its journey to Mars and some of its discoveries on the Red Planet thus far in a series of Frontiers in Science presentations beginning May 7 in the Duane Smith Auditorium at Los Alamos High School.

Wiens repeats his talk on:

May 9 at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, 1801 Mountain Road N.W., Albuquerque

May 14 in the James A. Little Theater of the New Mexico School for the Deaf, 1060 Cerrillos Road, Santa Fe

May 16 in the Taoseño Room of the Taos Convention Center, 120 Civic Plaza Drive in Taos.

All the talks begin at 7 p.m. and are free and open to the public. After the talks, Wiens will sign copies of his book “Red Rover: Inside the Story of Robotic Space Exploration, from Genesis to the Mars Rover Curiosity.”

Note: Wiens also plans to sign copies of his book from 11 a.m., to 2 p.m., May 4 at CB Fox Department Store on Central Avenue in Los Alamos.

Wiens, of Los Alamos’ Space and Remote Sensing Group, is principal investigator for the ChemCam laser experiment. ChemCam is analyzing the planet’s composition through the use of a laser that vaporizes what it hits so an optical spectrometer can read the resulting data.

Sponsored by the Fellows of Los Alamos National Laboratory, the Frontiers in Science lecture series is intended to increase local public awareness of the diversity of science and engineering research at the Laboratory.

Los Alamos National Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security, is operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC, a team composed of Bechtel National, the University of California, The Babcock & Wilcox Company, and URS for the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.

Los Alamos enhances national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health, and global security concerns.

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